"We did a little experiment and selected ten newspapers across the country which editorialized on the illegal alien controversy. No surprise - none of them support the tough House bill, and none of them have a solution to the porous border. The American print media has no stomach for tough measures that would secure the border and discourage millions of other foreign nationals from coming here illegally. Thus the illegal alien problem will not be solved. The politicians and the press know that, but they don't care. They feel good about a 'humane' approach to illegal immigration. So America is facing two things - a profound shift in demographics as Hispanics will continue to rise in numbers and power, and the very real possibility of terrorists exploiting our porous borders and doing great harm. President Bush is traveling to Mexico to meet with President Fox and the rhetoric will be tough - both presidents will promise to cooperate to make the border more secure. Meanwhile, the Mexican drug dealers and people smugglers will sit down to lavish dinners, grin, and plan their next law-breaking ventures. These guys love the American press, the Senate, and the two presidents. Nero fiddled while Rome burned ? perhaps we should all stock up on fiddles."

Fox News analyst Dick Morris put forth the political implications of the immigration debate. "Democrats like illegal immigration," Morris claimed. "Their goal is to swell the Hispanic population so that the black and Hispanic vote accounts for about a third of the American electorate by 2010. What's important here is for the Republicans to satisfy their base without alienating the Hispanic vote. If the Republican Party alienates the Latino vote by passing the House version as it is now - with a fence, but without a guest worker program - they won't get a Latino vote for twenty more years."

Juan Williams, also a Fox News analyst, worried that the immigration debate is tainted by subtle racism. "Immigration will change the country's racial makeup, and I think a lot of the populist anger is racial. A lot of people aren't comfortable with the changing America, although they won't admit it." Williams claimed that building a wall will be ineffective. "If you build a wall, people will still find a way to come because America is so attractive to them. They'll swim, they'll come on old boats, they'll fly in." The Factor accused the media and politicians of lacking the courage to face the problem honestly. "We can't continue to absorb this kind of chaotic immigration. Our politicians and our media have no will to stop the flood."

Duke University has cancelled the remainder of its lacrosse season after three team members allegedly beat and raped a stripper who was hired to perform at a party. Durham County DA Michael Nifong explained the charges. "There's no doubt in my mind that the woman was raped and assaulted. Three people were involved in the assault, and 46 members of the Duke lacrosse team submitted DNA samples. We believe the three perpetrators of the crime come from that group of 46." Nifong added that the players are refusing to talk to police. "I'm disappointed that team members are not cooperating - it may be good legal advice, but I don't think it's good moral advice. I still hope that conscience and courage will prevail and someone will come forward with information." The Factor criticized the players for protecting the guilty. "Right now you have the whole team with the mentality that they don't want to be 'rats.' You would think that if there was a violent crime like rape that the good people would come forward and say what happened."

In an interview on CBS, Aruba Police Chief Gerold Dompig implied that Natalee Holloway may have used drugs the night she vanished in Aruba. Holloway family attorney John Kelly denounced Dompig for dealing in unfounded rumors. "There was no corroboration, no details, and suddenly he's speculating about the cause of death. Everything he said was irresponsible, unprofessional, and out of line. He's blaming everything on the victim, who is not here to defend herself." The Factor questioned why any Aruba official would bring attention to the Holloway case. "Why would Dompig want to go on CBS News and reopen this whole wound? Americans were very emotionally involved in the story, then got away from it for a while. And here is Dompig on CBS making these claims that he can't back up."

There was a vocal showdown in San Francisco last weekend. On one side were Christian demonstrators protesting gay marriage and what they call a corrupt culture. They were shouted down and called "fascists" by counter protestors. The city Board of Supervisors actually sided with the counter-protestors, passing a resolution calling the Christian march an "act of provocation." Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval explained why. "What we're trying to say is that the message they have is wrong and intolerant. It's very provocative and it's inappropriate because many San Francisco residents support gay marriage. Coming to City Hall was something they did on purpose to try and provoke us." The Factor pointed out the hypocrisy of the counter-protestors and city leaders. "If you've got people calling other people 'fascists' and 'racists,' that's not tolerant of another opinion. They're well within their rights to go to the site of what they believe is an illegal activity. The counter-protestors were also within their rights, but then started calling the Christians names. That's where it all broke down for me."

In his new book about Barbra Streisand, author Christopher Andersen implies that the diva's friendship with President Bill Clinton was more than platonic. "The relationship between Bill and Barbra has always been a mystery," Andersen told The Factor. "She did spent a night at the White House, and Hillary came back and was surprised and irritated. Barbra is very close to Bill Clinton and always has been." The Factor questioned the propriety of Andersen's insinuation. "Senator Clinton is not on the record anywhere saying she was annoyed. What I'm worried about here is that anybody can tell you anything to get even with someone. Rumors abut President Clinton are rife, but I don't know if it's fair to imply that he had an affair with Barbra Streisand."

Many of you wrote about the protests against a new labor law in France, and demonstrations against a proposed immigration law in the US. Some excerpts:

Steve Crofut, Lompoc, CA: "Mr. O'Reilly, as a person who has been repeatedly laid off without cause in the USA, I know that a work 'at will' situation can be brutal. If it happened to you, I bet you wouldn't be so dismissive of those young French people."

Berj Manoukian, West Bloomfield, MI: "Most well paid Americans have contracts. What's wrong with all of us having contracts?"